The History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Perry Parks will be the next editor of its journal, Journalism History.

The History Division officers unanimously voted to accept the Publications Committee’s recommendation to select Parks, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University.

“Dr. Parks’ vision for the journal, his professional background, and his service commitment and research focus, make him the ideal person for moving Journalism History forward,” said Maddie Liseblad, chairwoman of the division’s Publications Committee. “He is a perfect fit for the position and a tremendous asset to our division.”

Parks’ research seeks to broaden and amplify the reach of historical approaches. He focuses on the contingent development of accepted contemporary norms such as news values, to help people imagine more open and equitable futures. Parks is the author of over thirty journal articles. He is also the author of the book Making Important News Interesting: Reporting Public Affairs in the 21st Century (Marion Street Press, 2006), and several book chapters. In addition, Parks has served as a co-guest editor of a special issue for Mass Communication and Society.

In 2023 Parks received the History Division’s Top Reviewer Award, and in 2020 he received the Exceptional Service Award. He has served on the division’s Executive Committee and as a Social Media Coordinator for Journalism History. Parks has also served as head of AEJMC’s Cultural and Critical Studies Division. He is a former news reporter and editor, working in various roles at the daily newspaper The Virginian-Pilot and as a regional editor for the hyperlocal online news network Patch.

“A critical understanding of the past is fundamental for generating nuanced knowledge of the present and enabling more inclusive and compassionate futures,” Parks said. “Journalism History’s essential role is to ensure that scholars across disciplines are attuned to where our present-day media came from, how it developed, who it privileged, who it neglected, and who it harmed. Equally important is pointing to moments of inspiration and disruption that made positive change possible, so future media scholars and practitioners are not bound by the dominant narratives of the past. I am excited to support researchers in theorizing and amplifying these moments.”

Parks will serve as an apprentice under current editor Pam Parry (Southeast Missouri State University) beginning in March and then begin his three-year term as editor in August 2024.

“Perry will be a great editor for Journalism History,” said Rachel Grant, chairwoman of the History Division. “He brings years of experience and service with AEJMC and the History Division. He also has produced award-winning research and has extensive knowledge of the field.”

Adopted as the official journal of the History Division in 2018, Journalism History is well respected as the oldest peer-reviewed journal of mass media history in the United States. Continuously published since 1974, this scholarly journal is a quarterly publication that features excellent scholarship on media history. 

In addition to content about traditional journalism, Journalism History welcomes submissions with historical angles on visual communication, public relations, advertising, scholastic journalism, media diversity, sports media, the business of journalism, media technology, oral history, media law and ethics, and documentaries. The journal also encourages cross-disciplinary and global collaboration so that the content of the journal increasingly reflects media history outside of U.S. borders and across disciplines.

For more information about the journal and how to submit, visit https://journalism-history.org/.